AC Milan vs Benfica – Match preview and team news
· Yahoo Sports
AC Milan will kick off their European journey on Wednesday, facing Benfica in their first Europa League match of the season at the San Siro.
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AC Milan vs Benfica – Match preview and team news
- Date: Wednesday, 16th September.
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: San Siro, Milan.
AC Milan team news
AC Milan enter their opening Europa League clash with a nearly spotless injury report, giving manager Rúben Amorim maximum flexibility for his tactical setup.
Center-back Matteo Gabbia has successfully shaken off a recent knock to rejoin the squad, while English winger Omari Hutchinson is fully fit and expected to play a prominent role.
Despite the healthy roster, Amorim is heavily tinkering with his starting eleven following consecutive draws in domestic play.
Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, and veteran midfielder Luka Modrić might be rested on the bench to manage their physical workloads.
Amorim is expected to deploy a fluid 3-4-2-1 formation, handing starts to younger talent like Koni De Winter and Strahinja Pavlović in defence, while Yanis Cissé and Gonçalo Ramos are tipped to lead the frontline at San Siro.
Benfica team news
Benfica arrive in Milan with a highly settled squad, missing only one major piece from their ideal starting lineup.
Danish right-back Alexander Bah remains sidelined with an injury and did not travel, forcing manager Marco Silva to adjust his defensive flanks.
Outside of Bah’s absence, the Portuguese side is at full strength and full of confidence following a victory in domestic league action over the weekend.
João Palhinha is highly anticipated to return to the starting XI to provide steel in midfield after being rested on the bench during the prior match.
Silva is set to opt for his preferred 4-2-3-1 structure, leaning heavily on the creative attacking trio of Rafa Silva, Gianluca Prestianni, and Andreas Schjelderup to pull the strings behind primary centre-forward Vangelis Pavlidis as they seek a crucial away result.
Form
AC Milan
AC Milan head into continental action boasting a resilient, unbeaten domestic run under Rúben Amorim. The Rossoneri have collected two wins and two draws from their opening four Serie A fixtures. However, momentum has slightly stalled following consecutive high-scoring draws, notably a dramatic 2-2 stalement away against Lazio and a 1-1 deadlock with Juventus. Showing a 50% win rate lately, their attack remains sharp, but defensive vulnerabilities persist.
Benfica
Benfica arrive at San Siro in absolutely scintillating form, having assembled a ruthless seven-match winning streak across all competitions. Marco Silva’s men successfully navigated the Europa League qualifiers before dominating the domestic league, averaging three goals per game. Their most recent outing saw a late rally secure a commanding 3-1 victory over Gil Vicente, leaving the Portuguese side brimming with immense confidence.
Predicted lineups
AC Milan: Maignan; De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlović; Chukwueze, Musah, Jashari, Bartesaghi; Hutchinson, Cissé; Ramos.
Benfica: Soares; Banjaqui, Araújo, Lenglet, Dahl; Palhinha, Barreiro; Silva, Prestianni, Schjelderup; Pavlidis.
How to watch AC Milan vs Benfica?
The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 2.
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